Tuesday, 30 June 2009

Firsts

First you see it...

...then you don't!

The cute "Love" cushion which I have been very much enjoying in its new home on its little Arts and Crafts chair in the dining room (and particularly loved by Vorey who thinks it's very cosy) has gone off on its hols to Ideal Home mag for another photo session as it's going to be featured in the mag (October issue I believe, by the way). I did give it a vigorous de-fur first, of course. So, to those of you who bought a similar "Love" or "Home" cushion from me already, you're ahead of the trends!

More firsts around and about the HenHouse.

The first sweet peas...

Yes, they do smell divine.

The first wild sweet peas...

No, they don't really have a fragrance.

The first hollyhock...

Self-seeded, in amongst loads of weeds! I've never grown hollyhocks here though we have quite a few dotted around the garden. I do jolly well love hollyhocks, too. Cottage gardens eat your heart out. You can't actually eat them though, can you?

In fact, the tomato plants are loving all this hot weather and are looking very triffid-like. I'd better get out there, pulling out the non-flowering side shoots and tying the plants in. Heaven help the window cleaner when he tries to get past this little lot!

The first chilli peppers...

Still green so here's hoping for lots more sun so that the little monsters turn a fiery red. I usually dry them and use them in my curries there after.

Down in the optimistically titled "kitchen garden", the first peas...

The first broad beans...

The first green (French) beans...

Not the first raspberries though. Finding it hard to keep up with the raspberry picking but I'm waiting for the sun to go down then I shall tackle them later and probably make jam.

Not a first really, except that it's the first time I'm showing you this. Does that count?! I'm a bit disappointed that the "million bells" are looking more "tens of bells" at the moment, I really want them to trail all down the basket but perhaps I'm being impatient. Who, moi? Mr HH is shaking his head, "Hen? Impatient? Oh no no no"! Or errm, maybe not.

I bought the cute heart-shaped hanging basket at the Chelsea Flower Show. I'm not usually a hanging basket fan but I bought this and another round one with a little heart shape protruding from the bottom (golly, that sounds dodgy, doesn't it?) which I rather liked. We'll look at that another time perhaps (like when it's started flowering).

That's it for firsts, now it's just random bits and pieces, as you've come to expect from me and this blog. I am LOVING (get that?) my red polka dotty verbenas which are now starting to flower nicely. Good boys (better than that million bells. Huh, what million bells?)

In fact, the red polka dot beauties are so fab, they get lots of piccies!

20 comments:

I was getting worried about my Sweet Peas they haven't started flowering yet, but you are just getting your first flowers I'm not worrying so much. I bet you are looking forward to seeing the article.Julie xxxxxxx

I'll be buying that issue then! Can't wait! That really is fantastic that they're going to spotlight your cushion, fantastic Hen! And so exciting! I'm with you on the hanging baskets. But then occassionally I see one where I think, oh, I've changed my mind about hanging baskets. Yours has made me change my mind! And blimey, your produce looks so healthy and perfect. We're still waiting for ours to look like triphids, and to show signs of producing. The sea mist we get slows them down I think. I love those verbenas, so retro and gorgeous! Love Vanessa xxx (do you mind if i knit)

Great news on the cushion front, how could they not feature it!!Sweet peas are my favorite flower, and the scent is so strong, all my sweets peas this year seem to be a deep purple, not that I mind, I love purple flowers but I do love your pink ones, such a delicate colour.Your veggies are coming on a treat, I bet they'll all need picking and eating together!!And I think it must be a good year for raspberries, we've had loads,and I managed to make our first ever raspberry jam at the weekend, which my husband says tastes delicious!!Lovely photos again, HenLinda O xxx

That Hollyhock is the most amazing colour! I found that the ones I planted deliberately succumbed to "rust", whilst those that self-seeded have survived. Have patience with those Million Bells... hate to say it, but ours are wonderful, I don't use anything else in baskets since I discovered them. x

wow congrats about the cushion - of course we can say we knew you before you were famous ;-)am extremely jellyous that you have tomatoes as i still dont!!! whats all this about non flowering shoots and tying in etc etc? i can feel a trip to the library coming on!!!Lx

Hi Hen, I went out in our little garden for an hour after work only to find Mr Slug and Mr snail have gone to town on my holly hocks and lupins...I wanted a little patch of lupins like the ones on your blog...now I have a patch of soil....

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About Me

Hello and thank you for visiting the HenHouse. I'm a stay-at-home thirty-something mum looking after Mr HenHouse and the Munchkin, aged 13 (going on 18). We also have a gorgeous and very spoiled ginger tom, Charlie Boy. Sadly we had to say goodbye to our two other furry boys this year. We have recently moved from the city to our dream home in the West Country. I have always loved vintage and have collections of eiderdowns, china and fabrics to name just a few. I love sewing and am an avid patchworker and quilter. As a family, we are dotty about the past and love the 1940s, often dressing up for re-enactment events. To fund my fabric habit, I sell handmade items in my Etsy shop. I'm pretty nutty about interiors, too and our homes have been featured in various magazines.